Mercy Ships Africa Blog

Learning to Eat: Cheikh’s Story

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“Life is hard… Having a child who was born without the ability to eat,” said Ndeye. Ndeye’s only son Cheikh was born with both a cleft lip and a cleft palate. Because of these conditions, Cheikh struggled to breastfeed. Ndeye fed him milk from a bottle instead, trying desperately to make sure her baby had the nutrition he needed.
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Bringing Life Into Their Days: A Spotlight on the Mercy Ships Palliative Care Team

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Mercy Ships strives to make safe surgical care accessible for as many as possible on board its fleet of floating hospitals, providing more than 114,000 life-changing or lifesaving surgical procedures since 1978. However, the sad reality is that not every single patient Mercy Ships meets can benefit from surgery. This is where the palliative care team comes in, serving to bring hope and healing through compassionate care and companionship to those with terminal illnesses. 
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Adapted to a Vision: The Story of Maria Kuo’s Dedication

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For Maria Kuo, an interest in Mercy Ships and the free surgical care it offers has always been a part of her life. At the age of nine, her parents took her to a Mercy Ships tour in Gisbon, New Zealand, where she learned about the urgent need for direct surgical care and medical resources in sub-Saharan Africa. Maria determined, right then and there, to become a part of Mercy Ships’ greater mission.
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Bringing Hope and Healing: What’s on the Horizon in Madagascar

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In 2024, Mercy Ships is excited to add the next chapter to our decades-long collaboration with Madagascar. During this coming field service, we plan to bring hope and healing anew by providing transformative surgical education as well as life-changing free surgeries to patients on board the Africa Mercy®. These operations will cover a range of specialties including maxillofacial and ENT, general, pediatric specialized general, pediatric orthopedic, and reconstructive plastics.
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Madagascar’s Teaching Surgeon Passes on Her Skills, Her Dream

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In the often male-dominated field of medicine, Professor Fanjandrainy Rasoaherinomejanahary is part of a legacy of female healers. “I am the daughter of a nurse,” said the Malagasy surgeon and professor of visceral surgery, who goes by Prof. Fanja. As a young girl, Prof. Fanja had a unique vantage point in the field of medicine, observing as her mother worked in a surgical ward. As she watched her mother help patients on their way to healing, a dream began to grow in Prof. Fanja’s heart.
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Supporting Safe Surgery: How a Biomedical Technician Found Her Place

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If you were asked to picture a hospital crew, your mind may jump first to doctors, surgeons, or nurses. But it takes so many kinds of specialists, each with their own skills, aspirations, and tools, to keep a hospital running. Deborah Nutsugah worked in a hospital in her home country of Ghana as a biomedical technician, specializing in handling and maintaining the medical equipment used for patient care. “I make sure this equipment is safe to be used on the patient, and also safe for use by the surgeons and the nurses,” she explained.
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The Boy with the Strong Spirit: Serigne’s Story

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In a village in northwest Senegal, the name Serigne holds great significance. It resonates with leadership and authority. Many people and establishments proudly bear this distinguished name throughout the village, symbolizing a belief in their potential for greatness. This means that 6-year-old Serigne is in good company. His father, Abdou, says he deliberately chose the name because he foresaw a future of influence for his son.
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Opportunity Made to Last: One Surgeon Mentee’s Story

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In the spring of 2023, seven mentee surgeons boarded the Global Mercy™ while the hospital ship was docked in the west African nation of Senegal. Dr. Alida Ngandjio Sidi, a pediatric surgeon originally from Cameroon, came on board with confidence. She knew this was where she needed to be.
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Mercy Ships Celebrates Lasting Impact in 2023

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Mercy Ships provided 3,295 surgeries for patients like Malang in 2023. Of those surgeries, 1,437 took place on board the Global Mercy™ during field services in two ports – Freetown and Dakar. The ship served patients from three countries – Senegal, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone. This work was only possible thanks to more than 1,318 skilled volunteers from over 67 countries, including 660+ Senegalese, Gambian, and Sierra Leonean national crewmembers.
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Africa Bureau

11 Rue 12.225,
Les Cocotiers-la Haie Vive
04 B.P 1398 Cotonou, BÉNIN

Africa Bureau

11 Rue 12.225,
Les Cocotiers-la Haie Vive
04 B.P 1398 Cotonou, BÉNIN
Tel: +229 62 38 79 79
africa@mercyships.org

© 2023 – Mercy Ships

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About us
Contact Us
News
Press
Videos

Africa Bureau

11 Rue 12.225,
Les Cocotiers-la Haie Vive
04 B.P 1398 Cotonou, BÉNIN

Africa Bureau

11 Rue 12.225,
Les Cocotiers-la Haie Vive
04 B.P 1398 Cotonou, BÉNIN
Tel: +229 62 38 79 79
africa@mercyships.org

© 2023 – Mercy Ships

Terms and conditions